Sample Lesson

From the book: Animal Fables from Around the World

The Hedgehog and the Hare

One day the hare met the hedgehog
and he said: "You wouldn't be so bad, hedgehog, except that your legs are
crooked, and you stumble."

The hedgehog grew angry and said:"What are you laughing
at? My crooked legs can run faster than your straight ones. Just let me go home
for a moment, and then you and I shall run a race!"

The hedgehog went home and said to
his wife: "I had an argument with the hare and we're going to run a race."

The hedgehog's wife said: "You must
be out of your mind! How can you run a race with the hare? His legs are nimble,
while yours are crooked and slow!"

"His legs may be nimble," replied
the hedgehog, "but my wits are nimble. You have only to do as I tell you. Now,
let us go to the field."

They went to the plowed field where
the hare was waiting.

"You hide at this end of the
furrow," said the hedgehog to his wife. "The hare and I will start from the
other end. As soon as he begins to run I'll turn around and go back. When he
reaches this end you come out and say: 'I've been waiting here a long time for
you!' He can't tell one of us from the other, and he'll think you are me."

The hedgehog's wife hid in the
furrow, and the hare and the hedgehog started their race from the other end.

As soon as the
hare began to run, the hedgehog turned back and hid in the furrow. When the
hare reached the other end, what did he see?—There sat the hedgehog's wife!

"I've been waiting for you a long
time!" she said.

"What a
miracle!" thought the hare, who could not tell her from her husband. "How could
he have outrun me?"

"Come," he said aloud, "let's run
again!"

"All right!"

The hare set off, and when he
arrived at the other end, what did be see?—There sat the hedgehog!

"Well, brother,"
he said, "at last you're here! I've been waiting a long time!"

"What a
miracle!" thought the hare. "No matter how fast I run, he always outruns me!"

"Come," he said, "let us run again,
and this time you won't beat me!"

"All right!" said the hedgehog.

The hare hopped
away as fast as he could, but again the hedgehog sat waiting at the end of the
furrow.

And thus the
hare continued hopping from one end of the furrow to the other until he was
exhausted.

He finally gave up and said that
henceforth he would never argue again.